Another nail — a lack of enthusiasm from the provincial capital he said.

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“The province was not interested in this, the province turned its back on Calgary.”

City council as well appeared to skew towards the “no” side he said, almost taking an off-ramp on the issue last month.

“The NOs dominated the debate … there was a huge footprint,” Taras said.

Taras said the plebiscite result is “sort of sad,” in that the city had a chance to build affordable housing and making the city more accessible for persons with disabilities. He said the Olympics might have also helped give the city “an economic jolt.”

Members of the “Yes” campaign react to the results of a plebiscite on whether the city should proceed with a bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Calgary, Alta., Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh.
CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh